Pakistan refuses permission to NIA to visit for 26/11 probe

Published: Tuesday, February 8, 2011, 0:00 [IST]

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New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) Pakistan has refused permission toa team of India''s National Investigation Agency (NIA) to visitthat country to interrogate the masterminds of the 26/11Mumbai terror attacks and gather evidence against them.

The refusal comes at a time when India is considering arequest from Pakistan to send a judicial commission here tointerview key witnesses and other officials in connection withthe trial of seven suspects in 26/11 Mumbai terror attackscase in Pakistan.

In a communique, Islamabad conveyed to New Delhi that thelaw of that country does not allow a probe by any foreignagency in any case there, sources said.

It conveyed that Pakistan''s request to send a commissionto India cannot be equated with the Indian plea as Islamabadhas sent the request following a court proceeding.

Islamabad also told New Delhi that there was no MutualLegal Assistance Treaty between the two countries and so therequest cannot be accepted.

However, sources said, Pakistan''s refusal to allow theNIA team to visit that country was another tactic to delay theprobe into Mumbai terror attack case as New Delhi would liketo send the team only after approval of the relevant court.

India is also suspicious about Pakistan''s sincerity as itis yet to hand over the voice samples of the masterminds ofthe Mumbai attack, as promised earlier, citing a lower courtorder.

Sources said if Islamabad had the sincerity to bring theperpetrators of the crime to justice, it would have approachedthe concerned high court or the Supreme Court of Pakistan tochallenge the lower court order. (More) PTI ACB